Game apparatus.



H. T. WATKINS.

- GAMB APPARATUS.' APPLICATION FILED TBBJE. 1910.

988,526. Paa Apr. 4, 1911.

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GAME APPAnA'rUs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 19, 1910. Serial No. 544,774.

To all rwho/m 'it may concern:

`Be it known that I, HENRY T. WATKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and uset'ul Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.,

This invention relates to games, and it relates particularly to gameapparatus consisting of a pack of cards.

The object which I have in view is to provide a pack of cards by the useof which a game corresponding in a general way to the game of whist maybe played, which game however by reason of novel features of the cardsconstituting the apparatus shall possess new and attractive features notpresent in the game of whist or in any similar game.

The invention resides generally in a pack of cards consisting of aplurality of suits or series, all the cards of each suit beingdesignated by a common mark, for instance a letter of the alphabet, allthe members of such suits or series being progressively andconsecutively numbered throughout, and a suit the number of the membersof which corresponds to the number of the other suits or seriesemployed, each member of the latter suit bearing a mark corresponding tothat of the distinguishinor mark of one of the other suits orv series,ciil'erent from that of the other members of its suit, and in addition adistinct mark identifying it.

One form of embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which;

Figure l shows one suit or series, namely that distinguished generallyby the letter A, Fig.y 2 is a view similar to Fig. l showing a suit orseries the members of which are designated by theletter B and Fig. 3 isa view similar to Figs. l and 2 and shows the suit not marked bynumerals but by a distinctive mark.

While I have in the present illustration shown only three suits orseries, and two of these are distinguished by the use of a letter of thealphabet, it will be clear from an understanding of the game capable ofbeing played by the apparatus that any distinctive mark may be used todistinguish the separate suits or series and that any desired number vofsuits may be employed. Furthermore while I have shown two of the suitsas consisting of seven cards designated generally by a letter of thealphabet and numbered consecutively from one to seven, it will be clearthat such suits or series may consist of any desired number of cards,the only requirement being that all the members of each suit shall beclearly indicated by an appropriate mark by Which the cards of a suit orseries may be identied, and the value of a card of a suit in referenceto the others be determined.

Another essential of the apparatus is the suit or series bearing a markentirely distinct from those of the other suits or series whereby itsvalue in relation to the others may be clear. In the form of apparatusherein shown this suit or series is indicated by the letter X and inorder to determine the relative values of the respective members of thissuit I arrange adjacent to the mark X on each card a separate letter ofthe alphabet. The number of cards of this series corresponds to thenumber ot' the other series or suits. For instance it' the suits in thepack of cards other than the distinctive suit are eight in numberdistinguished respectively by the letters ot the alphabet from A to Hthe distinctive suit would have eight members each marked with thecharacter X and each bearin one of the letters from A to H Tie values ofthe members of the suit designated, as in the present instance by thecharacter X, is determined by the position in the alphabet of the letterwhich each bears, that is to say a card bearing the designation XA isthe lowest in this suit or series, that bearing the designation XB isnext lowest and so on in order. That bearing the character XH in thepack herein contemplated being the highest card of this series or suit.

I have found in practice that eight suits or series desi natedrespectively by the letters A to H consecutively, consisting ot' sevencards each numbered consecutively, and one suit of cards marked with thedistinctive designating mark as X and lettered from A to Hconsecutively, forms a pack of convenient size for general use. Anydesired number of the suits, designated in the apparatus described byletters of the alphabet, may be Withdrawn from the pack to make it moreconvenient for the use of a small number of players. W'hen any suit isthus withdrawn the member ot' the check suit bearing a designationcorresponding to it is also Withdrawn.

Any desired number of players may en- Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

gage in a game, and when played by an 'odd number each player must keepan individual score. When played by an even number a partnership gamecan be played with half of the players on each side, and in lthis eventtwo partnership scores are kept.

In playing the game for which my novel pack is particularly designed,when for instance four people are playing, the cards are dealt to theplayers successively until each player receives eight. After each trickis taken each player draws a card from the remain der of the pack inorder that, until the pack is exhausted each player shall have beforeeach play eight cards in his hand. The player taking a trick draws irstand is followed in rotation by the players to his left. After the cardsare dealt the player at the left of the dealer leads a card, and thoseto his left follow. Each player must play either a card of the same suitor series as that led, if he holds one in his hand or play a check card.lf he can not follow suit, and does not desire to play a check card, heis at liberty to throw off any other card held in hisI hand.

Any check card is of greater value than any numbered card of any suitand those of the check suit are relatively valued as before explained.The value of the cards of the same suit throughout are determined by thenumerals borne by them, the higher the numeral the greater the value ofthe card.

When a player leads a card of a certain suit, as for instance onedesignated generally by the letter A, the highest card played of the Asuit, after such lead will take any card of any suit except a card ofthe check suit. rllhis rule applies whatever the vletter of the suit ledmay be. The purpose and function of the check 7 cards being to serve tobreak a continuous run in the hands of an opposing player, a player isalways at liberty to play a check card whenever a card of any of theother suits is led. When a check card is led it calls for the playing ofone of these by each player if he holds it, as the check cards form aseries or suit of their own.

rlhe score of the game may be counted in one of two ways. Either thenumber of points made by each player or group of players may bedetermined by adding together the numerals of all the cards takenexclusive of the cards in the tricks taken by check cards, or the resultof the game may be determined by simply counting the number of trickstaken by each player or by the different sets of players. All trickstaken by the check cards are laid aside and are not counted in eitherway of determining the result of the game.

Having thus describe-d my invention, what l claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is K l. A pack of cards consisting of a.plurality of different suits or series, having each its owndistinguishing character or suit mark and containing the same number ofcards, the cards of each suit being successively numbered or otherwisemarked tol denote their values, together with an additional suit orseries having its own suit mark and consisting of as many cards as thereare suits,

exclusive of itself, in the pack, each card of said suit bearing, inaddition to the mark common to all the cards of its own suit, the suitumark of a different one of the other suits.

Q.. A pack of cards consisting of a plurality of different suits orseries, each distinguished by a different letter of the alphabet andeach containing the same number of cards, the cards of each suit beingsuc` cessively numbered or otherwise marked to denote their values, andan additional suit or series having its own suit mark and consisting ofas many cards as there are suits, exclusive of itself, in the pack, eachcard of such additional suit bearing, in addition to the mark common toall the cards of its own suit, a different one of the letters of thealphabet by which the other suits are designated.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HENRY T. W ATKINS.

"Witnesses MEDORA S. BOND, MARGARET F. BROPHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressingthe Washington, D. C.

Commissioner of Patents,V

